Now World No. 1 Jason Day stays hot to win WGC Match Play Championship
On Wednesday his back was out of whack and his future was in doubt. Then on Saturday he became No. 1 in the world.
And
on Easter Sunday, he won his second consecutive tournament, capturing
the World Golf Championships-Dell Match Championship at Austin Country
Club. Day first defeated No. 3 and defending champion Rory McIlroy in a heavyweight tussle Sunday morning in the semifinals, 1 up, and then beat down Louis Oosthuizen in the final, 5 and 4.
Now he’s a big favorite to win the Masters in two weeks.It feels great to do this. I just kept on rolling from last
week," Day said. "And even with a sore back this week, obviously it
gradually got better and better, but I’m just really, really pleased
with how I played.
"... I can’t get complacent with how I’m
playing right now. ... I am looking forward to (the Masters). It’s one
tournament that I’ve always wanted to win. It’s one tournament that I’ve
always wanted to put the jacket on and go back every year. So the
motivation and the want is there.
"I think the biggest thing to me
is to get the rest and recovery. Take the first part of this week off,
go down (to Augusta) Thursday, start prepping Friday and go through that
whole stage of getting ready for the tournament."
He was plenty
ready this week. Day’s collection of power, precision and superb putting
and chipping proved too much for his seven vanquished opponents this
week. He needed only 102 holes to win the championship, which is his
ninth PGA Tour title and sixth win in his last 13 worldwide starts. Day also won the 2014 Match Play Championship in Arizona.
The Aussie could barely finish his first match of the week against Graeme McDowell
after tweaking his back on the 15th hole. But he defeated McDowell, got
10 hours of treatment from there on through Sunday and added wins
against Thongchai Jaidee and Paul Casey in pool play. He then sent Brandt Snedeker home in the round of 16 and Brooks Koepka in the quarterfinals. His win against Koepka made him No. 1.
Day admitted he started slowly this year but didn’t panic.
"It
was an interesting week, to say the least," Day said. "Not even thinking
about playing Thursday after Wednesday with a tweaked back on 15th tee,
and then getting to No. 1 on Saturday and then winning on Sunday. It
was a very, very strange week. But glad to be in it and glad to gut it
through."
Oosthuizen likely will be overlooked among the azaleas
and pine trees and players with louder games in the Masters in two
weeks. But the South African with the gentle demeanor and enchanting
swing will be among the favorites.
Especially now that he’s
matched up his stylish swing with the claw — his new putting grip that
is paying big dividends. After making the switch last month he won the Perth International in his next start and had two top-15s.
The 2010 British Open winner, who was 6-1 and defeated former world No. 1 Jordan Spieth in the round of 16, lost in a playoff to Bubba Watson in the 2012 Masters. He will play the Shell Houston Open this coming week.
EmoticonEmoticon